Driving mechanism.



E. A. & E. LE M. EUSTIG-E;

DRIVING MECHANISM. AHLIOATION FILED A2115. 1911.

v Patented N0v.14,1911.

3 sums-sum 1.

E. A. 6: E. LE M. BUSTIGE.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APBJfi. 19x1.

Patented Nov.14, 1911'.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

B. A. (In '6. LE M. EUSTT'IGE.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED A BJE, 1911.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

3 8HBETB-SHEET 3.

I711)? fifms mum in: Lune IAMIIII. a t.

, UNITED STATES sl mmer GFFXCE.

EDWARD A.- EUSTICE AND EDWARD LE MOTTE EUSTICE, 0F NEWTON. IOWA.

DRIVm'G MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

Application filed April 15, 1911. Serial No. 621,405.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD A. Ensues and Euwsno Ln Morin EUSTICE, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Newton, Jasper county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Driving Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for driving mechanisms adapted to he employed for mec'hanicallyoperating a washing machine and other devices to be driven.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for reducing the speed of a prime .movcr through a train of .gcarlng to a follower.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for intergcaring or disconnecting a driving mechanism and follower.

A. further object of this invention is to provide improved means for driving an extraneous device, such as a clothes wringer, conjunctively witli'or independently of a primary follower, such as a washing macmne.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for driving an extraneous device positively or revcrsely conjunctively with or independently of a primary follower.

A further object of this invention is to provide impro ed means for connecting a power shaft and follower shaft.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for driving a machine, such as a washing machine, by means of a prime mover extraneous to the driven machine.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of the complete machine as applied to a tub carrying a wringer. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the same.

3 is an elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the same at right angles to Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the indicated line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the indicated line 6-4) of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the indicated line 77 of Fig. 2. Figs. 5, 6 and? are on an enlarged scale and in normal positions. F ig. 8 is a detail view on an enlarged scale illustrating a bearing support.

In the construction of the machine as shown a suitable support is employed and her 17 pivoted to the stationary member byhinges hereinafter described. The tub and its members which we have employed and illustrated to demonstrate the support and application of our improved driving mechanism are of common and well known construction to which we make no claim. The movable portion 17 of the cover carries a dolly shaft (not shown) within a housing 18 and a dolly pinion is mounted on said shaft and is employed to oscillate the shaft and dolly within the tub, said pinion also being concealed and covered by the housing. A gear (not shown) is mounted for oscillation on a vertical axis at one side of and meshes with the dolly pinion and said gear also is covered and concealed by the housing 18. Ears 19, are formed on the housing 18 and are apcrtured horizontally in registration with each other, the centers of the apertures of said cars being in the same vertical plane as the joint between the movable and stationary portions of the cover. Ears 20, ill are formed on end portions of a housing 23 mounted on the stationary portion 16 of the cover and said cars 20, 21 are horizontally apertured and register with the apertures of the ears 19. A hinge pin 22 is r mounted for rectilinear reciprocation in the housing 23 and meshes with the intermediate gear diametrically opposite I the dolly pinion when the movable portion 17 of the cover is closed on the tub. When the movable portion 17 of the cover is raised from the tub, by movement through an arc articulating on the hinge pin 22, the intermediate gear is moved away from and out of mesh with the rack 24. This arrangement is to permit opening the tub for inspection or change of the clothing therein without stopping the automatic driving mechanism and at the same time to provide that the dolly, its shaft and pinion and theintermediate gear may come to rest and not be operated when the cover is moved to open position.

Any desired means may be provided for compensating for wear between the intermediate gear and rack 24 or between said rack and the rear wall of the housing 23, such as by use of an angle plate described in our companion application Number 579,330 pending concurrently herewith. A-

plate beneath the central portion of the support. A" -driving shaft 27 is mounted transversely of the support and is jou'rnaled at one end in a bearing 28 on the bracket 26 adjacent to the base plate 25. The outer end portion ofthe shaft 27 extends through and is journaled in a bearing 29 fined to the support, and driving devices, such as a pulley 30, are mounted rigidly on the extremity of said shaft adjacent to the sup; port. The driving devices may be connected to and driven by a prime mover (not shown) such as by belting to the pulley 30.

Countershaftsiil, 32 are mounted -transversely of and beneath the supportin a' lower plane than the shaft 27 and are journaled at their inner ends in neighboring bearings 33, 34 in the lower portion of the bracket 26. Outer end portions of the countersha fts 31, 32 extend through and are journaled in bearings 35, 36 carried by a bar- 37 suspended from the support. The shaft 32 extends through its bearing 34 in overlapping relations with the inner end portion of the shaft 27 and a pinion 3S feathered on the inner end portion of the countershaft 32 meshes with a pinion 39 of larger face fixed on the inner end por tion of the driving shaft 27. A wrist-wheel 39 is mounted loosely on the countershaft 32 and is formed with a clutch member 40' adapted to be engaged at times by a clutch member 41 on the hub of the pinion 38. A clutch shifter 42 is fulcrumed on the bracket 26 and is provided with a forked arm -13 engaging in an annular groove in the end portion of the hub of the-plmon 38 opposite to the clutch member 41. The clutch shifter 43 is provided witha hand lever 44 which extends horizontally parallel with the countershafts 31, 32 to and projects beyond the side of the supportand within convenient reach of an operator. The outer end portion of the hand lever 44 isconfined against abnormal downward movement by a keeper 45 on the support and said lever is so shaped as to press against the bottom of the support except when manually depressed. Stops 46, -17 are mounted in and extend downward from the support above. the keeper 45 and one or the other of said stops holds the lever in whatever position it may be placed manually. Thus through manual oscillation of the lever -14 the clutch shifter 42 may be caused to move the pinion 38 longitudinally of the counwtershaft 32 into or out of engagement with the wrist-wheel 39 and at the same time the length of face of the pinion 39 is such that the pinion 38 is at all times in mesh with andbeing driven thereby. Awal king beam 48, of any desired shape, is fuicrumcd on a bracket 49 fixed to the side of the support and occupies an upright position. The upper end portion of the walking beam 48'is pivotedvto the outer end portion of the pitman 24. A pitman 50 is pivoted at its inner end to a wrist-pin 51 on the wrist-wheel 39 and is pivoted at its outer end to the lower end portion of the walking beam 48.

Through the means thus far described, mo-

and dolly. Pinions 52, 53 are mounted rigidly on outer end portions of the countershafts 31, 32 and normally revolve continuously during the operation of any part of the machine, said countershafts being connected by intermeshing gears 54, on their inner end portions adjacent to the bearings 83, 34;. A hand lever-56 is fulcrumed on a bracket 57 mounted on the support and extends upwardly and downwardly alongside of said support. The lower end portion of the hand lev'eiflgitf'carrics a short shaft 58 journaled therein and a pinion 59 is fixed tothe inner end portion of said shaft and is adapted to mesh with one or another of, or remain out of mesh with both. the pinions 52. The opposite end portion of the SllOH; shaft 58 carries a pul- 62 extends laterally from the frame of the wringer and carries a pulley 63 on its outer end, which pulley in this instance is of the grooved variety. The pulleys 60 and 63 are connected by a belt 64, in this instance shown to be crossed between the pulleys so as to drive one izra direction opposite to the movement of rotation of the other. The upper end portionof the lever keeper in whatever position it may be placed manually.

The keeper 65 may be supported at one 1 i end by a bracket 66 (Fig. 8) carried by the wringer stand 13. I

ournal hearing at its upper end to receive A strut 137. having a the shaft 62, is mounted through a hole in the bracket (36 and is provided with nuts 1 68. 69 above and below and engaging said bracket. By. means of the nuts 39 the strut 67 may he'adjusted vertically to com-- pcnsate for wear of the shaft (52 and its 1 journal bearing on the strut. and also to i provide a steadying support for said shaft.

The proportions, arrangcu'xcnt and various components of our mechanism may be modified in many respects without dcparting from the spirit of our invention and therefore we do not desire to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise construction, arrangement and proportions shown in our drawings herewith.

In practical use of the mechanism above described the shaft 97 is rotated by the prime mover and in turn rotates the countershafts 31, 32 through the intermeshing gears 39, 58 and 5t. 'Ihecountershafts 31, drive the pinions 53 in opposite directions. The pinion 38 (when the clutch 41 is in engagement with the clutch l drives the wrist-whecl 39 and said \vr wheel in turn, acting through the wrist-pin 51, pitman :30. walking beam 48 and pitman 24, drives the gearing on the top of the support. and the dolly when it 15 employed. Power is 'i-ultcn oil of the countershaft 31 or 32 through the pinion 5t) meshing with one or the other of the pinions 52, to drive the short shaft 58 and pulley (30, said pulley 60 actinz. through the belt (tat to drive the pulley 63 and wringer shaft 62. The hand lever 56 may be operated manually to shift the short shaft 58 so as to take power from either of the countershafts or to be disconnected and come to rest with the pinion 59 intermediate of and out. of mesh with both of the pinions 52. 53. The wrist-wheel 39 may be disconnected by shifting the lever 4- when it is desired to open the tub and pass the clothes therein through the wringer. Or said wrist-wheel may be permitted to continue in operation when the tub is open,- the dolly mechanism ceasing to operate because of the disconnection of the intermediate gear from the rack 24. Or the washing operations may be continued and I port. a driving shaft 1ournaled in said the wringcr be reversely operated so that in a reverse direction if desired This arrangement and operation is desirable in 1 wringing clothes from rinsing water at the l further ournaled to said support, a plmon same time another batch of clothes is being washed in the tub and under such conditions it is desirable to place a receptacle on the housing 18 to receive the clothes passed reverscly through the wringcr.

It is to be understood that our improved driving mechanism above described may be employed with mechanism other than that adapted for washing and wringing clothes.

'e claim as our invention- 1. In a driving mechanism, the combination of a suitable support, a shaft at the top of the support. a shaft at the bottom of the support adapted to be driven by a prime mover. a clutch-controlled device between said shafts, countershat'ts at the bottom of the support spaced apart and driven in opposite directions, a supplemental driven device at: the top of the support. and an operating device connected with the supplemental driven device and adapted for alternate connection with said countershafts.

2. In a driving mechanism, a prime mover, a driven device and an interposed. reducing train of gearing between the prime mover and driven device, which train comprises a driving shaft, a countershaft, a pinion feathered to the countershaft, a pinion on the driving shaft in mesh with the first pinion, a wrist-wheel fixed on the countershaft, lever and pitmen connections between the wrist-wheel and device to be driven, mating clutch members on the feathered pinion and wrist-wheel. and a i clutch shifter adapted for manual actuationto move the feathered pinion on its countershaft.

3. In a driving mechanism, an interposed reducing train of gearing between a prime mover and f driven device, which train comprises a driving shaft, a countershaft, apinion feathered to the counter-shaft, a pinion on the driving shaft in mesh with the first pinion, a wrist-wheel on the countershaft, lever and pitman connections between the wrist-wheel and device to be driven, mating clutch members on the feathered pinion and wrist-wheel, a clutch shifter adapted for manual actuation to move the feathered pinion on its countershaft, a mating countershaft geared to the first countershaft, a lever mounted for oscillation, a shaft carried by said lever, a pinion on the latter shaft adapted to be driven alternately byjhe counter-shafts, a supplemental device to be driven, and connections between the shaft in the lever and said supplemental device.

4. In a driving mechanism, a suitable support, a bracket. depending from said suphracket and further journaled to said support, a pinion. on said driving shaft, acountershaft journaled to said bracket and feathered on said countershaft andmeshing with the first pinion, a clutch shifter fulcrulned on said bracket and engaging the pinion on the countershaft, a wrist-wheel loosely mounted on the countershaft and adapted to be connected to a'device to be driven, mating clutch members on the pinion and wrist-wheel on the countershaft, and a lever fixed to said clutch shifter and extending horizontally beneath said support.

5. In a driving mechanism, a suitable support, a bracket depending from said support, a driving shaft journaled in said bracket and further journaled to said support, a pinion on said driving shaft, a countershaft journaled to said bracket and further journaled to said support, a pinion feathered on said countershaft and meshing with the first pinion, a clutch shifter fulcrumed on said bracket and engaging the pinion on the countershaft, a wrist-wheel loosely mounted on the countershaft and adapted to be connected to a. device to be driven, mating clutch members on the pinion and Wrist-wheel on the countershaft,

' a lever fixed to said clutch shifter and extending horizontally beneath the support, another countershaft journaled in said bracket and further journaled to said support, inter-meshing pinions on said countershafts, spaced pi'nions on the outer ends (i1. said countershafts, a lever mounted for oscillation, ashaft in the lower end of said lever, a pinion on the latter shaft adapted for meshing attimes with either of the spaced pinions on the counterslrafts, a pulley on the lever-carried shaft, a supplemental device to be 'driven'on the support, and

a belt connecting the pulley on the levercarried shaft to said supplemental device.

6. In a driving mechanism, the combination of a suitable support, a shafta't'the top of the support, a shaft at the bottom of the support adapted to be driven by a prinre mover, a clutch controlled device between said shafts, countershafts.at the bottom of the support spaced apart and driven in opposite directions, a supplemental driven device at the top of the support, spaced gears on said countershafts, a lever mounted for oscillatory adjustment, a short shaft carried by said lever, a pinion on said short shaft adzi'pted for meshing at times with either of the'spaced gears on the countershafis, and a pulley .on Said short shaft adapted to be operatively connected to the supplemental driven device.

7, In a driving mechanism, a suitable support, a movable member on said support, a housing on said support, a housing on the movable member hinged to the first housing, a dolly shaft in the movable member and latter housing, a pitman arranged for reciproeation in the first housing, and gear connections between said pitman and dolly shaft, said gear connections adapted to sepa rate on the line of articulations of the housings.

Signed by us at Newton, Iowa, this 11 da of March, 1911. 1

newline a. rusncs.

EDWARD LE MOTTE EUSTICE.

Witnesses: V I

V. E. STAMPER, J. LJOGG. 

